More than 200 people from Worcester who have helped make the city a better place to live were honoured at the Guildhall recently.

The Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Worcester thanked the volunteers at two special receptions last week.

Some of them had helped major events such as last year’s Three Choirs Festival and the Worcester Show to run smoothly; others devoted many hours to litter clearance, tree planting and conservation work in the city’s parks and open spaces. Volunteers who regularly help in Worcester’s schools, colleges and community groups were also out in force.

Deputy Mayor of Worcester, Councillor Jabba Riaz, said: “I’ve met with literally hundreds of community groups and attended several major events in Worcester which simply could not function without the support of volunteers.

“Many volunteers I’ve met are extremely modest about their achievements, and often have a tendency to shy away from the limelight. However, I think it’s high time to say thank you and to shout about the enormous difference they are making both to Worcester the place and the people who live here.”

Between January 2017 and January 2018 the City Council has recorded nearly 5,000 hours of work which volunteers have contributed to improve Worcester’s parks and open spaces. This is about 1,000 hours more than the Council recorded last year, indicating that an increasing number of people are prepared to give up time to help their local community.

The council says that there are thousands of hours more of voluntary contributions made to charities, schools, community groups and major events in 2017.